Openhearted

Oh, precious heart
You don’t fool me
The soul is ethereal and the eternal optimist
Limitless in its devotion
Funny how much it can hurt
This precious heart
Working hard, pulsating overtime
Without segregating or want
Asking any old thing
Man can be so silly, stupid, eager, greedy, hateful or even adoring
With their foibles and folly
And yet
This precious heart asks nothing
Not one single solitary demand
It just beats
and beats
and beats
Life
Until it sighs gently one last breath
Goodbye
Inside the sterile walls of an acid green hospital room
An aged woman dies
Her loved one’s hands entwined between the sheets and layers of devotion
Somewhere down the hall under a puffy, blue cloud painted ceiling of emotion
faint sounds of a newborn cries
Oh dear, my precious heart
Skips a beat
No need to remind me
We’re all heading home
Where jasmine and magnolia blossoms
thrive in wintertime
Blanketed atop a glistening, white mosaic of pure and unfiltered goodness
Filled with all the lessons of life
Passion and beauty and purpose and joy
Blend seamlessly with stitches of sorrow and pain
One’s tapestry of time
The miracle of being alive
Both labored and effortless
Oh, precious heart
It’s less complicated
When faith and hope come along for the ride
Devoted and loyal companions
The heartbeat grows wiser as the breath slows
Due north is the most beautiful, starlit direction
Sing me a lullaby when I go
Pay me no mind
For I have lived a full and honest life
Scatter my ashes anywhere you see fit
I really won’t mind
I’m already gone and off exploring
Soaring in the stratosphere
Friends and family
Reminisce if you must of white sandy beaches, warm tidal pools, margaritas and sunflower meadows in spring
Picture me smiling
A young girl with rainbow sprinkles and swirl ice cream
dribbling down the chin
Remember me when I was joyful and happy
Doing all my most favorite things
Before I grow old
Bitter and embattled by the scars
Of the most assured broken hearted
Know that I tried and tried and tried
To let love flow
Healing deep wounds and sacred caverns
Only wise men and centuries enlightened have come to know
That openheartedness is our most potent elixir
Loving through loss
Oh, precious heart
Is our greatest challenge by far